Jake Higginbotham

A blue-chip recruit for the Clemson Tigers, Higginbotham made just seven starts his freshman year before he suffered a stress fracture in his throwing elbow that required surgery and kept him off the field in 2017. The Tigers slowly built him up this season and he made 15 starts as Clemson's Sunday starter, going 6-1, 3.27 with 62 strikeouts to 30 walks in 77 innings. Higginbotham has shown few ill effects from that elbow injury, generally working 90-93 mph with his fastball and touching 94 mph with a loose arm. An athletic, 6-foot, 170-pounder, Higginbotham creates some deception with his delivery as he turns his back to the hitter. He has good feel for spinning an average, upper-70s breaking ball and serviceable, low-80s changeup. His control is ahead of command, as Higginbotham sometimes loses his release point and gets underneath the ball, creating some Jekyll and Hyde innings. But because of his lefthandedness, his athleticism and his raw stuff, Higginbotham should be an attractive option in the draft as long as teams are confident in his medical reports.